Create a photo book when you get home – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Use the digital photos from your road trip to make a one-of-a-kind keepsake.

A photo book is a great way to share your adventures with friends and family, and it would also make a perfect gift for your traveling companions. Services like Shutterfly or Snapfish make it easy to turn your favorite photos into books. If you’d like to include journal entries or blog posts that you wrote along the way, try sites like Blurb or MyPublisher that have more advanced design options.

It’s fun, and it’ll keep your travel memories fresh for years to come.

Roadside geology books – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

Ever ponder the origins of that distant mesa? Curious about those snowy mountains, those flinty hills, the flatness of Central Indiana? Perhaps you’re bored to death by the lack of scenery?

Consider taking a roadside geology book on your next trip. These books contain an array of maps, easy to follow mileage logs, basic geologic primers, and photographs that can bring a landscape — even a “boring” one — to life: cornfields become shark infested seas, lifeless brown deserts become breezy tropical islands, and dinosaurs roam in the next road cut.

Look for menus in the city’s native language – Dining out tip

by Gadling Staff on

When traveling to a foreign city, you can usually find the cheapest and best-tasting food by looking for menus that are written entirely in that city’s native language.

Generally speaking, these venues are frequented by locals and are found off the beaten path. Travelers will find that restaurants catering to the local population are far less expensive than their tourist-orientated counterparts. Often, the food will be fresher and better prepared, as it has to cater to the discerning local.

Not only will you find the best and cheapest food – it will add to the overall cultural experience of your destination.

Change drivers often – Road trip tip

by Gadling Staff on

When sharing driving on a long trip, it’s tempting for one driver to drive until he or she is tired, then switch to another driver. The tired driver then wants to sleep, leaving the new driver “alone” while the tired driver sleeps.

You can drive for greater distances without being exhausted if you switch drivers on a schedule — for example, every one to two hours. This way, neither driver becomes exhausted.

Additional bonus: the switch allows for a brief stretch which also tends to diminish fatigue.

Stick to a budget – Dinging out tip

by Gadling Staff on

Stick to a budget.

It’s easy to overspend on food on vacation, because you get excited about trying new dishes or regional specialties. Try setting yourself a budget for each meal ahead of time, and go into the restaurant mindful of your goal.

We’ve found it helpful to set budgets before we even leave on a trip, because once you’re in the moment, it’s easy to spend more than you planned.

Note that budgeting doesn’t have to mean eating boring or familiar dishes; choose restaurants that don’t cater to tourists, and you’ll find lower menu prices in many places.